Hardwood Flooring Guide

For centuries people have sought the natural beauty of wood floors. At one time wood floors were fairly simple. The wood planks were cut from large logs, milled into planks, nailed down, stained and then finished in your home. These early floors were mainly 3/4" thick, 2-1/4" wide, solid strip planks that were waxed after staining. There were also wide pine planks used in some areas.

Today, homeowners have more choices than ever before from olde World to classy contemporary to rich exotic styles. Combine all these exciting new offerings with the latest wood finishes that are more durable and easier to maintain and its no wonder so many people are starting to use hardwood floors throughout many rooms in their homes. We hope the Hardwood Flooring Guide will help you better understand all your wonderful and different hardwood flooring options, Plus, we hope to explain some of the common misunderstandings about hardwood floors, as well as some of the latest trends in wood flooring.

One of the things that makes wood floors so appealing is that each wood plank is as unique as the trees they come from and wood's natural textures and subtle shades add character and richness that can't be duplicated even by laminate flooring. Today, hardwood flooring is offered in both solid wood floors and a variety of engineered wood floors in both many North American hardwood species as well as many rich exotic hardwood species from around the World. This gives homeowners the opportunity to express themselves like never before with their own unique decorating styles. See also: Types of Hardwood Floors to better understand the differences.

While the Hardwood Flooring Guide will try to help you determine which type of wood floor is best for your situation, we do not compare brands, nor tell you which hardwood flooring brand to buy. There are many excellent brands to choose from, such as: Bruce Hardwood Floors, Mannington Wood Floors, Anderson, Lauzon, Mirage, Hartco, Shaw, Mohawk, Columbia, Mullican and many, many more.